You needn't be a connoisseur or a sommelier to appreciate a wine-tasting holiday. Most vineyard tours cater to both experts and novices. Part and parcel of vineyard tours include beautiful scenery and fine cuisine.
You needn't be a connoisseur or a sommelier to appreciate a wine-tasting holiday. Most vineyard tours cater to both experts and novices. Part and parcel of vineyard tours include beautiful scenery and fine cuisine.
Old world wines
One automatically thinks of France when thinking of wine and rightly so. France produces some of the world's finest wines and the obvious place to start is the Champagne region. Champagne is synonymous with celebration, glitz and glamour. There are several vineyards in this small area so you will have the opportunity to try a great deal of champagne and gain a better understanding of the champagne process.
The Loire region of France is a slightly longer trip but it is home to some excellent wines, such as the crisp, citrus-scented Sancerre, or the lightly fruited Vouvray. However there are 67 different appellations - that is, distinct traditional wines from grapes that grow in particular areas.
Spain is going through a wine revolution and new skills are being introduced to traditional methods. There are many wine-producing regions in Spain, but topping the list is La Rioja, which is considered to be Spain's finest wine. Here the wine variations are many, from primitive to elegant and stylish
Italian food must be enjoyed with Italian wine. Grapes grow all over Italy so you will need to be selective when choosing a region. There is the relatively unknown but richly varied Puglia in the far south or Piedmont in the north, which gave birth to Barolo wine and is truly one of the world's best reds. It is one of the few things in the world that actually improves with age.
New world wines
These days, new world wines grace most people's dinner tables as they offer great value and flavour.
If you fancy exploring further afield, South Africa is a good choice, producing a good variety of wines such as sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, pinot noir, merlot and the native Pinotage.
Australian wines have taken the world by storm. Australia grows an enviable range of grapes and the lusciously dark Barossa Valley shiraz or the lemony Clare Valley Riesling can make one forget that old world wines exist.
New Zealand is a relative newcomer to wine production, but a few small producers started selling their sauvignon Blanc wines and suddenly the wine world stood up and took notice. Today, New Zealand's sauvignon Blancs are famous for their almost tropical taste.
Wines from South America come mainly from Chile and Argentina. The quality of their wine is improving all the time and the wine tasting world is watching and waiting with anticipation